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63 About this deal
In just over six weeks since the lifesaving NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme began delivering boosters, more than six million people have had their vital top-up dose, including those who are clinically vulnerable and work in health and social care. Following advice from the independent experts at the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), everyone who is currently eligible - including those aged 40 and over, health and social care workers and those at increased risk from the virus due to health conditions - will be able to book their jab from three months after their second dose, meaning an additional 7 million people over 40 are now eligible. The research also looked at the effectiveness of the autumn 2022 bivalent booster. Having this booster meant that two to four weeks later, people aged 50 years and older had an extra 53% protection compared to those who didn't have it. Scientists are very concerned about the spread of Omicron due to the speed with which it spreads and because two doses do not appear to provide much protection but thankfully, a booster dramatically improves this. Myocarditis and pericarditis are inflammatory heart conditions and are very rare risks of mRNA vaccines. These rare side effects are more common in men under the age of 30 years after their second primary vaccine dose. The risk of these side effects appears to be lower after the first booster.
Getting your jab is the most important thing you can do ahead of Christmas to keep yourself safe from the virus – do not delay in booking as soon as you’re eligible. Novavax. People 12 and older can get 2 shots, three to eight weeks apart. Teenagers ages 12 through 17 who had the Novavax primary series are eligible to get either a Moderna or a Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster. I am incredibly proud of the work the NHS has done to accelerate the programme and offer my thanks to the frontline staff, volunteers, Armed Forces and British public who have made it possible for us to meet this commitment. Most healthy people will likely only need one booster until fall 2024, said Dr. Ofer Levy, the director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and a member of the FDA’s advisory committee.
First things first: Vaccinate everyone
Early boosters were called “monovalent” because they were designed to protect against the original virus that causes COVID-19. They also provide some protection against Omicron, but not as much as the new updated boosters. Side effects for the Moderna vaccine when used as a booster include pain or tenderness where you had the injection, swelling of the lymph nodes in the arm where you had the injection, tiredness, headache, muscle or joint pain, chills, nausea, vomiting, fever, or rash.
Chronic neurological disease, such as stroke and individuals with cerebral palsy, profound multiple learning disabilities, Down’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease and related or similar conditions. This means that Sunday 12 February will be the last chance for anyone who has been invited for a COVID booster to take up their offer, until future campaigns are agreed by the JCVI and government.
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The COVID vaccination programme, the biggest and most successful in health service history, has today started taking online and phone bookings from people invited for a booster jab. Dr. Eric Topol, executive vice president of Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, said he is “not concerned” about vaccine effectiveness, saying that the vaccines developed so far have consistently shown to provide protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death. Added links to translated versions of booster vaccination information – those aged 16 and over and those aged 12 and over who are at risk.
More than 28.1 million people in England – more than 7 in 10 of eligible adults – have now had their booster following the rapid expansion of the vaccination programme over the last month. This includes around 90% of those aged 50 and over who are eligible. GP teams will be asked to clinically prioritise their services to free up maximal capacity to support the COVID-19 vaccination programme, alongside delivering critical appointments such as cancer, urgent and emergency care. This might mean that for some people, routine appointments are postponed as part of the national mission to roll out boosters. Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and Deputy Lead for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme said: “Alongside one of our busiest summers in the NHS, our hardworking staff have also been gearing up to deliver the autumn booster programme, to give further protection to healthcare and social care workers and those most at risk from the virus. Although a fever can occur within a day or two of vaccination, if you have any other COVID-19 symptoms or your fever lasts longer, stay at home and arrange to have a test. Symptoms following vaccination normally last less than a week. If your symptoms seem to get worse or if you are concerned, you can call NHS 111. Dr Nikki Kanani, deputy vaccine lead for the vaccine programme, has called on people to book their top up vaccine as soon as they are invited to ensure they get extra protection ahead of winter.Following the decision by the government to accept JCVI advice today, I would encourage anyone who has not yet had their COVID booster to book an appointment in the next couple of weeks and make the most of the offer available. The Government says: “You will be given a booster dose of a vaccine made by Pfizer or Moderna. You may be offered an updated combination version of these booster vaccines – the combination vaccines include a half-dose of the previous vaccine combined with a half-dose of a vaccine against the Omicron variant. For a very small number of people another vaccine product may be advised by your doctor. Additionally, a study published in The Lancet in April 2023 found that people over 65 who had the bivalent booster were 72% less likely to need a hospital visit and 68% less likely to die from Covid-19, compared to people over 65 who did not receive a bivalent booster. How long does it take for the booster to be effective? This list is a summary and does not cover everything. There are other health conditions and treatments that may mean you're at increased risk from COVID-19.
A separate guide for booster vaccination for individuals aged 16 years and over and those aged 12 years and over who are at risk is available. What is coronavirus or COVID-19? Research published in the Lancet in July 2023 looked at how effective a third dose of the monovalent vaccine is at preventing hospitalisation from Covid-19. In people aged 65 or over, the vaccine was 50% effective at preventing serious illness, for up to six months after a third dose. More than a year (14 months) after vaccination, the effectiveness was still about the same level. In people aged 18 to 64 years, the vaccine was 30% effective after six months. Dr Emily Lawson, Head of the NHS COVID-19 Vaccination programme, said: “The NHS COVID-19 Vaccination programme, the biggest and most successful in health service history, is once again pulling out all the stops to protect the country from this cruel virus. You should be told if you have an increased risk from COVID-19. If you're unsure, speak to a pharmacist, GP or your specialist for advice. How to get a seasonal COVID-19 vaccine
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People aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as defined in tables 3 and 4 of the Covid-19 chapter of the UKHSA Green Book on Immunisation
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